Narrative:

Dispatch release contained MEL for a hydraulic system low pressure light inoperative. I signed the release after reading the MEL requirements and then flew the aircraft from phx to mdw to phx without incident. The required control check was accomplished before each flight. It was later discovered that 'a line had been omitted from our FAA approved MEL' and the aircraft should not have been flown if the inoperative light was caused by a pressure switch. There was no way I could have known about this error in the MEL. I have been advised that maintenance control and the FAA agreed that it was an inadvertent omission and that no one was at fault for allowing the aircraft to be flown. Apparently the light problem was connected with a faulty switch and has been repaired. I don't know what else I could have done because the MEL stated that dispatch was permitted with an inoperative light. A note has been placed in our pilot read file explaining the MEL change. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: while the reporter was flying a phx-mdw turnaround, his air carrier maintenance and poi found that there was a sentence missing in the FAA approved MEL that would have kept the aircraft on the ground. As the FAA approved the MEL, the FAA could not come after the reporter or the air carrier without putting itself on report. This part of the MEL has been rewritten to correct this oversight. There is a copy of the MEL in each aircraft as well as in air carrier maintenance and dispatch.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MEL REQUIREMENT WAS NOT SATISFIED.

Narrative: DISPATCH RELEASE CONTAINED MEL FOR A HYD SYS LOW PRESSURE LIGHT INOP. I SIGNED THE RELEASE AFTER READING THE MEL REQUIREMENTS AND THEN FLEW THE ACFT FROM PHX TO MDW TO PHX WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE REQUIRED CTL CHK WAS ACCOMPLISHED BEFORE EACH FLT. IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THAT 'A LINE HAD BEEN OMITTED FROM OUR FAA APPROVED MEL' AND THE ACFT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN FLOWN IF THE INOP LIGHT WAS CAUSED BY A PRESSURE SWITCH. THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS ERROR IN THE MEL. I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT MAINT CTL AND THE FAA AGREED THAT IT WAS AN INADVERTENT OMISSION AND THAT NO ONE WAS AT FAULT FOR ALLOWING THE ACFT TO BE FLOWN. APPARENTLY THE LIGHT PROB WAS CONNECTED WITH A FAULTY SWITCH AND HAS BEEN REPAIRED. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE I COULD HAVE DONE BECAUSE THE MEL STATED THAT DISPATCH WAS PERMITTED WITH AN INOP LIGHT. A NOTE HAS BEEN PLACED IN OUR PLT READ FILE EXPLAINING THE MEL CHANGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: WHILE THE RPTR WAS FLYING A PHX-MDW TURNAROUND, HIS ACR MAINT AND POI FOUND THAT THERE WAS A SENTENCE MISSING IN THE FAA APPROVED MEL THAT WOULD HAVE KEPT THE ACFT ON THE GND. AS THE FAA APPROVED THE MEL, THE FAA COULD NOT COME AFTER THE RPTR OR THE ACR WITHOUT PUTTING ITSELF ON RPT. THIS PART OF THE MEL HAS BEEN REWRITTEN TO CORRECT THIS OVERSIGHT. THERE IS A COPY OF THE MEL IN EACH ACFT AS WELL AS IN ACR MAINT AND DISPATCH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.